Carbureting apparatus.



No. 642387. Patented Jan. 30, I900. A. T. WELSH;

CARBURETING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 21, 1895.)

(No Model.)

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TTn STATES PATENT riucn.

ABRAHAM T. \VELCII, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CARBURETING APPARATUS.

EZPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,187, dated January 30, 1900.

Application filed January 21, 1895. Serial No. 535,713. (No model.)

To roZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM T. WELCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbureting Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to carbureting apparatus.

One object of the invention is to provide an air or other suitable aeriform fluid-supplyregulating device in conjunction With a carbureter which shall operate to supply automatically with certainty of operation and substantial uniformity of pressure a predetermined or requisite amount of aeriform fluid to a carbureter, whereby a gas of uniform candle-power may be produced.

A further object is to produce an air-regulating apparatus in which the movement of the receiver or regulator proper will operate automatically to open and to close the valves controlling the passage of air and of gas to a building and also the blow-off valve on the surplus-air-discharge pipe.

A further object is to produce a novel arrangement of gas-supply connection for the retort by which the gas will be given a r0- tary or swirling motion in the combustionchamber thereof, thereby heating the retortwalls thoroughly before the products of combustion escape from the retort.

A further object is to produce a novel form of filling device for use in connection with the carbureter to prevent overflow when being filled with hydrocarbon.

A further object is to produce a carbureter having a yielding top and bottom, whereby to permit of those parts giving in case of sudden high pressure, and thereby prevent leakage or destruction.

lVith these objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a carbureting apparatus, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is a View in elevation, showin g the regulator, retort, and carbureter in section and the connections between these parts in full lines and also showing a preferred form of filling device to be used in connection with the carbureter; and Fig. 2 is a View in horizontal section, showing the peculiar manner of connecting the gas and air supply pipe with the retort.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the regulator,comprising the elements usually employed in the construction of ordinary gasometers-namely, a casing a, a receiver a and a water seal a -l3 the retort, and C the carburetor.

The retort B comprises an outer shell or casing 12 and a closed-end cylinder 19 forming a hot-air chamber, the cylinder being provided at its bottom with a circumferential flange or base 6 on which rests the shell I). The space b between the shell and the cylinder forms a combustion chamber, into which gas is supplied from the gas-main D bya pipe E, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) the latter pipe being tapped into a branch pipe F, connecting directly with the gas-main D, and into the air-supply pipe leading to the carbureter. Valves f are provided to regulate fires and to cut off the air and gas for heating the retort when the use of the sameis not necessary. The lower end of the pipe E is provided with a three-way coupling 6, and extending therefrom are two pipes 6 having their free ends projected into the combustion-chamber b near its bottom at diametrically opposite points and at opposite angles, as shown in Fig. 2, by which arrangement the gas is projected against the walls of the cylinder 1) in such a manner as to cause it to rotate or swirl rapidly within the combustionchamber, and thus evenly and quickly heat the walls of the cylinder and its contained air.

The carbureter C is constructed in all es sentials and operates in the same manner as that forming the subject-matter of an application filed by me in the United States Patent Office, March 5, 1894, Serial No. 502,413, for an improvement in automatic gas apparatus, and therefore needs no further description in this application other than to describe its cooperation in connection with the rest of the apparatus formin g the present invention.

Connecting with the retort is a pipe G, having its outer end leading to and connecting with a suitable air-supply, such as a positive blower or the like. Branching from the pipe G are two other pipes 11 and I, respectively, the pipe H projecting upward into the receiver and serving to conduct air thereto and the pipe I extending upward to a point above the top of the regulator and having its upper end provided with an ordinary safety-valve i. To the valve is secured a stem 2' to which is pivotally attached a rod or beam '5 having one end pivoted to a projection i on the valve-casing and its free end provided with a swinging arm 2' adapted to contact with the top of the receiver when the latter is raised, and thus open the valve "L The gas-main D is provided with a similar valve (1, beam (1 and arm (i and the pipe J, leading from the retort, with similar part-s, (indicated by the reference-letters j, j and 3' respectively.)

Connecting with the valve j and opening into the carbureter beneath the float K is a pipe L, through which hot air is conveyed from the retort to-the carbureter, and leading from the top of the carbureter and connecting with the gas-main D is a pipe M, through which gas is conveyed to the said mains In addition to the pipes already mentioned there are a pipe N extending from near the top of the inner portion of the receiver and serving to supply air to the burners in a building and a distributing-pipe 0 leading from the gas-main and supplying gas to the said burners.

The operation of the apparatus so far described is as follows: Air under pressure is admitted to the pipe G and passes through pipe H into the receiver, thereby causing it to rise and open the valves 01 and j by contacting with the arms 01 and j and thus establish communication between the carbureter and the distributing-pipe O and between the retort and the carbureter. It will be observed that the arms (I and j are of the same length and longer than the arm i such arrangement permitting the carbureter to start to work coincidently, or practically so, with the initial rising of the receiver and before the latter reaches the arm '5 of the blow-off valve '5. As soon as the valve j is opened the air in the regulator passes through the retort and pipes H and L to the carbureter, and after being carbureted escapes through the pipe M to the distributing-pipe 0, from whence it is led to the different burners in a building,

air at the same time being supplied to the burners in requisite quantity through the pipe N. When the receiver A contacts with the arm i it opens the blow-01f valve and allows the excess of air to escape, thereby keeping the pressure within the receiver uniform, such pressure being determined by the weight ofthe receiver.

When there is such excessive use of gas and air as would tend to make the receiver sink, and thus lower the pressure of the combined aeriform fluids, such diminution or falling off of the pressure will be immediately counteracted by the closing of the blow-off valve as soon as the receiver sinks to the point where the arm i ceases to contact with the receiver. By this means a uniform pressure in the gas and air mains is maintained at all times when the apparatus is in operation independent of any variation of the blower.

In some instances it will be unnecessary to employ the retort, and at such times the gas and air supply thereto may be cut off by clos ing the valvesfof the pipe F.

As a means for preventing explosion and fracture of either of the top or the bottom of the carbureter should sudden high pressure be brought to bear thereon, the said parts are made of sufficient area to bend or yield should such a contingency arise-that is to say, the top and bottom of the carbureter form the greatest possible area to allow flexibility and yielding.

In addition to the above novel construction of the carbureter, I provide in conjunction therewith a filling device for preventing overflow of the air-pipe L when the carbureter is being filled, it being understood that in this particular form of carbureter and measuringchamber Q the carbureting-chamber and measuring-chamber are situated some distance below thesurface of the ground, and the filling-pipes P and g extend to the surface of the ground. By employing the fillin g device herein illustrated the carburetingchamber may be filled without danger of overflow. The device consists of a filling-tube P, extending to the bottom of the chamber and having an approximately L-shaped vent-pipe 19 arranged therein, with the bottom limb thereof projecting into the chamber at aslight incline downward and its open lower end arranged at the proper level for the oil, a cap 19 serving normally to close the top of the tube and a valve 19 in the vent-pipe. The lower end of the tube is cut away or perforated, as at 10 in order to allow the oil to flow into the chamber at the bottom. The oil is fed into the tube P until it reaches and closes the end of pipe 19. Asthis shuts off the supply of air to the carbureting-ch'amber it follows that no more oil can be fed to the said chamber after the predetermined level is reached. Instead of feeding the oil directly to the carbureting-chamber in the manner just described a supplemental measuring or storing chamber Q, before referred to, may be employed, into which the oil is first fed, and from thence to the carbureting-chamber through a pipe q entering the top of the said chamber and extending to near the bottom thereof. The chamber Q is also provided with a ventpipe g so slanted as to form or. present the smallest space for the escape of air to the measuring-chamber, and consequently small quantities of oil to the carbureter, at a time, operating in the same manner as the pipe 19,

and with a cap for cutting off the gas to the building and air to the carbureter. Oil is admitted to the carbureting-chamber by opening a valve 1 on the pipe q, and as the chamber Q is arranged at a plane above the carbureting-chamber it follows that the oil will flow into the carbureting-chamber by gravity.

' It is to be understood that when the supplemental chamber Q is employed the pipe P is dispensed with.

In order to prevent explosion of the carbureter in case of fire or from other causes, the pipe E is provided with an automatic cut-off B, comprising an ordinary safety-valve, to which is attached an arm the free end of which is supported in the position to cause the valve normally to remain open by means of a fusible wire r Should there be an excess of beat, this wire will melt and allow the valve to close communication between the gas-main and the retort.

The float K, to which reference is made, is pivoted at 7a to the lower portion of the carbureting-chamber, and the pipe L enters the said chamber near the pivotal point of the float. By this arrangement the air has to traverse the entire length of the float before escaping, and this serves to cause the float to take up any variable pressure of the regulator that is, if the regulator should jump or pulsate from uneven action of the blower the carbureter will absorb such variation, and thus prevent any regularity in the gas-pressure and consequent flickerin g of the gas-jets.

Should the engine slow down or stop, or if, in case of fire, the belting or other machine driving the blower should be burned, or in the case of breaking of the latter, the receiver will sink and cause the arms j and d to close the valves j and (Z, respectively, and thus effeet the automatic cutting off of the gas and air to the building, while at the same time the fusible wire r will melt and allow the arm 4 to out off the supply of air and gas to the retort.

Instead of having the receiver a to contact directly with the arms t, (F, and 9' the pipes carrying this mechanism may be located at any part of the building, and by means of weights suspended over the receiver and connecting with the arms the same result may be attained.

llaving thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a carbureting apparatus, the combi nation with a regulator and a carbureter, of pipes connecting the parts, and valves on the pipes operated by the movement of the regulater, the valves on two of the pipes being opened and closed in advance of the remaining one, substantially as described.

2. In a carbureting apparatus, the combination with a regulator, carbureter, and retort, of pipes connecting the parts, and valves on the pipes operated automatically at different intervals by the movement of the regulator, substantially as described.

3. I11 a carbureting apparatus, the combination with a receiver, and a carbureter pro vided with a float, of means for supplying air to the regulator and to the carbureter, the said float serving to absorb any irregularity or variation of pressure in the air supplied to the carbureter, and mechanism for supplying oil to the carburetor and automatically stopping the supply when a predetermined amount has been fed, substantially as de-' scribed.

4:. In a carbureting apparatus, the combination with a retort, of air and gas supply pipes connecting therewith at the bottom, said pipes entering at opposite angles where= by to cause the rapid rotation and swirling of the products of combustion, substantially as described.

5. In a carbureting apparatus, the combination with a regulator and a carburetor, of pipes connecting the parts, valves on the pipes, and depending arms carried by the valves and located in the path of movement of the regulator, substantially as described.

0. The combination with a heater or retort, and a carbureting apparatus in communication .therewith, of a regulator for supplying air to the retort, and mechanism actuated by the movement of the regulator to control the passage of air through the retort to the carbureter, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAM T. WELOH.

IVitnesses:

R. G. DYRENFOR'IH, R. M. ELLIOJF'L. 

